Thousands of people are unable to experience the simple pleasure of eating without the risk of life-threatening pneumonia and, consequently, suffer a significant reduction in their quality of life. Their inability to prevent foreign matter from entering the airway during swallowing, a condition referred to as aspiration, prohibits them from taking any food or liquid by mouth. Stroke is the most common cause of aspiration. Other causes of aspiration include traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, and other central nervous system disorders.
For these patients failing standard rehabilitation therapy, a percutaneous endoscopic gastronomy tube is the only safe form of nutrition. In extreme cases, these patients undergo surgical procedures that permanently separate the trachea from the esophagus, radically altering the throat. Such solutions can significantly reduce the patients' quality of life.